Remake of the Swimming Pools Regulation 2008

Posted by Fair Trading NSW
on 4 June 2018

What is this about?

The NSW Government is remaking the Swimming Pools Regulation 2008, which will automatically be repealed on 1 September 2018. NSW Fair Trading has prepared a proposed Swimming Pools Regulation 2018 (proposed Regulation) and an accompanying Regulatory Impact Statement for public consultation.

The proposed Regulation supports the Swimming Pools Act 1992 (the Act) and features changes to further improve the operation and administration of the Act. The Act sets out the responsibilities of pool owners and generally requires that pool access be restricted by a child-resistant barrier to protect young children. The proposed Regulation sets out the detail required for the effective operation of the Act.

What are the proposed changes?

The changes that are contained in the proposed Regulation include:

enabling local authorities to charge fees for third and subsequent pool inspections, and increasing the maximum fees that local authorities may charge for exemption applications (to match the maximum fee applicable for first inspections of pools)

imposing a new obligation to display a warning notice while a swimming pool is being constructed, and making it an offence for failing to comply with that obligation (this obligation was recommended by the NSW Coroner's Court)

changes to warning notices that are already required to be displayed under the Act

improving public access to applicable Australian Standards, not just AS 1926.1 - 2007

requiring certificates of non-compliance to be entered into the Swimming Pools Register

changes to improve the flexibility or clarify aspects of the Regulation.

Have your say

Comments should be emailed to SPregulation2018@finance.nsw.gov.au before 5pm, Friday 29 June 2018. If you wish to send in your comments by mail, look inside the Regulatory Impact Statement for instructions.